Frank Lampard set to become Coventry boss as final touches made to ex-Chelsea star's contract
Frank Lampard is close to being announced as Coventry City's new manager after concluding negotiations with club owner Doug King following the sacking of Mark Robins
Frank Lampard is finally poised to return to management after prolonged negotiations with Coventry City.
Coventry have been without a manager since owner Doug King took the surprising decision to sack long-serving boss Mark Robins on November 7. The side has been managed by interim boss Rhys Carr over the past few weeks, with King taking his time to find Robins’ successor, despite growing unrest among supporters.
Lampard has been the frontrunner right from the off and is now very close to ending his almost 18-month absence from management. The 46-year-old has been out of work since leaving his interim position at Chelsea at the end of the 2022/23 season, where he managed just one win in 11 games, but will now return to the Championship.
Lampard and Coventry have been putting the finishing touches to his contract over the past two days and the appointment is now inevitable. The appointment has been made with the club owner determined to push it through ahead of other candidates who were in the frame.
Coventry lost 2-0 at promotion contenders Burnley on Tuesday night and are in need of a new direction, sitting in 17th place, just two points above the relegation zone.
Lampard’s first game in charge could come on Saturday when Coventry host Cardiff at the CBS Arena. It remains to be seen how he is welcomed by the home fans, who have turned on King after he sacked the well-liked Robins, who led the Sky Blues to the play-off final and FA Cup semi-final in the past few seasons.
Lampard has experience of the Championship, having guided Derby County to the play-off final in 2019 where they lost to Aston Villa. He has also reportedly benefited from a personal connection, with King understood to have a link to the Redknapp family. Harry Redknapp is Lampard’s uncle.
The former England midfielder has been in detailed talks with Coventry for the past 10 days. But, speaking after the defeat at Turf Moor, interim boss Carr had not been informed of any developments in appointing him.
“Similar to Saturday really, and I am sure I will have another conversation after today’s game,” he explained. “The ‘day by day’ line is the same, so if we end up going into the Cardiff City game then we will prepare again, look at their strengths and their weaknesses and how we can hurt them and defend against them as well. And we’ll approach the game the best way we can.”
Lampard is likely to bring in his own coaching staff upon arrival and Carr understands that he might be about to lose his job. “Yeah, whatever is the right decision for Coventry City is the right thing to do,” he said. “I said the other week that it’s a club where I have only been for a short period of time and I really care about it, I really do.
“It’s a fantastic club with some fantastic people, the staff are excellent and the players are a really, really good group. And whatever the right decision is then I am just happy for the football club.”
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